Method of producing insulated electric conductors.



PATENTED SEPT. 29

J. A.-HEANY. I METHOD OF PRODUCING INSULATED ELBGTRIQCONDUGTORS.

APPLIOATIOK FILED MAY 9, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 29, 1903. I,

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALLEN HEANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TETER-HEANY DEVELOPING COMPANY, OF CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, AND PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF PRODUCING INSULATED ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,131, dated September 29, 1903,

Application filed May 9 1902. Serial No. 106.658. (No specimens.)

producing a fire and water or moisture proof insulated metallic conductor.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient method of insulating metallic conductors to render the same non-combustible or fireproof, as well as moisture or water proofthat is, an insulated conductor which is not afiected by moisture or water and is not destructible by heat generated within the conductor by the passing of an electric current through the same or by heat from an external source.

As is well known, asbestos is a substance which is non-combustible. It has been found difficult to cause the necessary adhesion of asbestos to a metal surface or wire to avoid in the bending or twisting of the wire or surface the asbestos cracking or peeling ofi of the enameled or coated wire or conductor is bent or twisted it is not injuriously afiected and is fire and water or moisture proof.

The nature and scope of my present invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of one form of an apparatus for the conduct of the method of my said invention; and Fig. 2 is an elevational View, in broken section,of a wire, showing the stages through which it passes to become coated and covered compactly with asbestos and rendered fire and water proof, em-

bodying the particular features of my present invention.

Referring to the drawings, with reference to Fig. 1 thereof, the metallic surface or Wire is immersed by being drawn, preferably, through a bath in a vat or tank of a cohering adhesive substance or materials in order that the surface or Wire may be coated with a layer or coating a of such adhesive material or cement. After the surface or wire has received its coating or layer a asbestos in flaky or fibrous form is twisted or coiled in its flocculent condition onto the r0- tated traveling coated wire (1 as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, in order that the minute particles or fibers of the flaky or fibrous material will thoroughly intermesh with the cohering adhesive substance a of the conductor or wire, as well as the conductor or wire o to such an extent as that under required compression by means of compression devices 0 and c the same will be intimately compacted onto the conductor a to uniformly insulate the conductor throughout, and thereby render it impervious to moisture or water, as well as unaffected by heat internally from an electric current or externally from an extraneous source. The asbestos in its flaky or fibrous condition is supplied from a traveling belt 0, and in its travel it is licked up by the sticky covering or coating of the rotating conductor a and becomes tightly and compactly twisted onto and around the conductor 0, The conductor a is then preferably fed through a bath of a non-destructible fire and water proof cement or paste d in a vat or tank D, which consists of a clay, as kaolin, six parts, by weight, or a lime product, as sulfid of lime, four parts, by weight, or a. me-

tallic oxid', as oxid of alumina, two parts, by

weight, or an alumina product, as sulfate of alumina, one-half part, by weight, or an acid product, as boracic acid,one-sixteenth part, by weight. This composition is thoroughly mixed and then one part, by weight, mixed or combined with a gluey cohering adhesive substance in the proportion of four parts, by weight. Theaboveproportionsofthedifierent ingredients in parts by weight maybe varied and still good results be obtained. This I oo may be the commercial glues or a mixture of glues or adhering substances heated with water or made to form a solution of the required consistency. Some of the common or commercial glues mixed with fish-glue, as practice has demonstrated, give excellent results. The coated, covered, and fire and water proofed conductor a is then passed between preferably a pair of squeeze-rolls e and e for removing any surplus of the final coating of cement or paste to the conductor a and the thus-treated conductor a as illustrated at the right hand in broken sectional view of Fig. 2, is then permitted to dry, and when thoroughly dry the fiocculent asbestos will be found to be embedded and surrounded with the coating and cement or paste and also united to the conductor and with the latter in such a condition as not to be affected by heat and also fire and water proof, thereby specially adapting such a covered wire for use as a conductor for electric purposes.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The method of producing a fireproof and water or moisture proof electric conductor, which consists in subjecting a wire while rotating and traveling to a bath of a cohering adhesive substance, and successively applying flocculent asbestos onto and into the cohering coating of said wire so that the minute particles or fibers of the asbestos thoroughly intermingle with said coherin g adhesive coating and adhere to the wire in such manner as to be intimately compacted in said coating and on said wire, and finally applying a nondestructible paste or cement thereto so as to produce a conductor uniformly unaffected by moisture or water, indestructible by heat generated within the conductor, as well as unaffected by heat from an extraneous source.

2. The method of producing a fireproof and water or moisture proof electric conductor, which consists in subjecting a wire while rotating and traveling to a bath of a cohering adhesive substance, as described, and successively applying flocculent asbestos onto and into the cohering coating of the traveling wire so that the minute particles or fibers of the asbestos thoroughly intermingle with said cohering adhesive coating and adhere to the wire in such manner as to be intimately compacted in said coating and on said wire, and finally applying a non-destructible paste or cement thereto, as described, so as to produce a conductor uniformly throughout unaffected by moisture or water, indestructible by heat generated within the conductor, as well as unaflected by heat from an extraneous source.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN ALLEN HEANY.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

